Beginning
by occa
Summary: A new beginning.


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BEGINNING

By Occa

The stranger walked through the dim alleyway. Sunlight was a distant memory this far down in the underhive. The only lighting was the flickering neons that burned 36 hours a day. He wore a long coat its hood pulled up to protect him from the rain. Although to call the sludge that dropped from the buildings and pipe work from above rain was to insult rain.

By the time it got to this level of the underhive it had passed through so much pollution that it hardly resembled the water that it had once been. It had an oily feel and a metallic taste and it burned slightly when it touched your skin. The stranger had been raised in a place like this so although this place was many, many light years from where he was born it felt curiously like home.

The alleyway was deserted most people were either working one of their 24 hour shifts or sleeping through their 12 hour rest period. So he passed through the alleyway undetected, well almost undetected. A Juve from the local gang was slinging low-grade synth on a corner. Always looking for a way to raise up the ranks the Juve saw the stranger (obviously an uphiver slumming it) as a way to get some cred. He had a blade so the uphiver who had come down here without a bodyguard should be easy meat.

He was planning his method of attack when he noticed that the Stanger had changed direction and was walking towards him. Probably wanting directions to the nearest pleasure house, he smiled this was going to be easier than he thought. The stranger walked and stopped, the Juve couldn't see anything under that cowl."What have you got"? Asked the stranger, his voice was deep and calm.

"Synth". Answered the ganger he was happy to hear that the uphiver wanted some synth, it would be even easier to take him down if he was synthin'.

"Give me three". The Stanger said holding out a stack of credits. The Juve complied handing over three vials of viscous blue liquid. He checked the credits and put them away. Inwardly he was bursting with joy, if this guy had three shots of synth he'd have to scrape him off the 'crete to rob him. Tonight would be a good night.

The stranger opened his coat, the clothes underneath were plain and functional, the Juve had not expected that. The stranger was fishing around in his pockets, so the Juve took a bit of time to check out his mark. The boots were high and travel stained the pants looked like standard guard issue on the strangers belt was a finely made basket hilted power sword and a guard issue heavy las pistol.

The Juve had misjudged the man, he had come to the underhive well armed, but with three vials of synth in him it wouldn't be difficult to divest him of his property. The stranger clearly wasn't finding what he was looking for in his deep pocket and his annoyance was palpable. The jiggling created by his search caused something to fall out of a small side pocket. It was connected by a golden chain to one of the buttons on the stranger's coat. The Juves eyes were quick and he saw the flash of gold as the thing dropped, this was going to be a good haul he thought to himself. He couldn't see what the thing was until it reached the end of its chain; it swung to and fro in a decreasing arc until it stopped.

When the Juve saw what it was the joy inside of him died and his guts turned to ice water. He had seen this symbol before, scratched onto the walls in the darkestPlaces of the underhive. All of the denizens here knew that to see that symbol meant death. The Juve realised that the man had stopped jiggling, he raised his head. It seemed to take an eternity but finally he was looking up at the stranger whose eyes were as cold as the depths of space.

"Run". Said the stranger, the Juve did as he was told and ran as thought the four gods of chaos were after him. He didn't stop running until he was back at his hab his girlfriends skinny arms wrapped tightly around him. The stranger found himself a small dark alcove and dropped the synth. He washed it down with a shot of amesac from a flask he got from a pocket. He leaned back against the wall as the synth flooded his brain with joy and sighed. Some time later, he wasn't sure how long the vox piece in his ear squawked.

"Inquisitor, it's time". He fumbled numb fingered for his own vox.

"I'm coming". It was only a short walk to where his team lay in waiting. Shimon Drax a sandy haired fellow was a whiz with anything electronic, almost heretically good. He had been picked up by the Inquisition for trading in alien tech. Funny thing about the Inquisition was that once you were in you were in, the higher ups had decided that his talents were too good to waste. So instead of being summarily executed he was put on the team.

Small and dangerous clad in light body armour, twin pistols at her hips. Tran Do was as good with those as she was with a pair of blades an asset in the risky work they were called to do. She was utterly fearless even in the face of the fiercest daemon. The skills she had learnt as a prisoner of the Black Eldar served her well. The Inquisitor was still trying to fathom her inscrutable depths.

The third member of his team towered above the other two, Dorf the Ogryn was a mass of muscle and scar tissue. He was a terrifying opponent in battle and the gentlest soul in the moments in between missions. His size and immense strength had saved them in many situations. They had first met on Ignus 4 Dorfs unit had been surrounded by World Eaters. Dorf was the only one to survive, using two of the World Eaters own chainaxes to cut a bloody path through them. He had joined the Inquisitors team that day and they had been friends ever since.

"Inquisitor"? He turned an arbites captain stood behind him. He inclined his head towards the man.

"Captain". The captain saluted.

"My men are in position". The Inquisitor nodded."Thank you Captain we are almost ready to begin". He looked at Shimon who was typing furiously on a wrist mounted logic engine. Shimon looked back at him and nodded.

"Your men are free to enter captain." The captain nodded and moved away to take command of his men. He looked uneasy, which was understandable it wasn't everyday that an Imperial Inquisitor ordered you to storm an underhive hab. His men looked uneasy too but underneath that unease was the desire to serve the Emperor and his servants. For his part he wasn't sure what they would find in there and a few dozen arbites between whatever it was and his team was highly desirable.

The lock on the outside of the door had a little red light on it. Shimon tapped in a last bit of code and the light changed to green. One arbite stood by the door while five arbites with riot shields and shock mauls crowded around it. On a silent signal the arbite opened the door and his comrades charged in yelling and banging their shields. After they had gone in another twenty arbites and their captain charged in as well. The Inquisitorial team made their way in cautiously.

Dorf went in first ripper gun held ready, behind him quicksilver was Tran Do, he went in next power sword and pistol ready. Shimon came in last mostly because he didn't want to be in the alleyway alone more than for any tactical benefit. The sight that greeted the Inquisitor was exactly what he hoped for. People on the floor in various states of undress, scattered amongst silken sheets and many pillows, on the walls were various scenes of debauchery and on one wall a pict screen showed disturbing images mated to a discordant soundtrack. It was very loud, grimacing the Inquisitor looked around the room and found the device that was providing the music and images. He raised his laspistol and squeezed the trigger. The machine erupted into a sparking mess as the bolt tore through it. There that's better he thought. He found the arbites captain, the captain was talking to a handsome blonde youth. The captain was acting deferentially towards the youth. The captain looked at him as he approached the youth followed his gaze and stared at the inquisitor.

"Who in frack are you?" He asked angrily. The Inquisitor said nothing.

"You have no right to be here, this is a private party!" He walked up to the Inquisitor and poked a finger in his chest.

"My father is the governor of this planet. Just you wait until he...". The las bolt tore through one of the youth's calves and drew a bloody furrow down the other one. The youth went down in a screaming heap. The Inquisitor bent down and grabbed the front of the youth's brightly coloured vest. He hauled the governor's son up until their faces were just millimetres apart. The youths eyes were screwed shut in pain. The Inquisitor started speaking his voice as heavy as a thunder hammer.

"I am the right hand of the Emperor. If I so decreed this planet would be turned to ash, I have the right to be anywhere I choose. You should watch yourself or the next time we meet I'll aim a little higher." The Inquisitor let the youth drop and stood up. The arbites captain looked at him with a mix of disbelief and respect.

"Captain put all of these people into custody I will want to interrogate them all." The captain nodded.

"Then bring in the flame units I want this building burnt to the ground."

"You don't want any evidence collected Inquisitor?" The captain asked. The Inquisitor looked around.

"No just burn it." He said. The captain saluted.

"Yes Inquisitor." He moved off to organise his men. The Inquisitor found a soft chair and sat down. By the Emperor he felt tired, he supposed that the drugs he had taken were wearing off. He took some time to survey the room as the arbites officers were dragging the party members off to a transport. They were leering at the partially and completely unclothed females and were staring lustfully at the artwork on the walls.

The Inquisitor wasn't too concerned about this bunch but there were some worrying signs as he cast his eyes about. The symbols painted on the walls were not too far away from the symbols of a certain God of Chaos. The governor's son's robe was bare on the right hand side of his chest. Clothing that was in the style of that same God of Chaos. They weren't a bona fide cult of Slaanesh, but they were on their way. Someone had started them on this path, someone had given them enough information for them to, in time, damn themselves. He would have told them everything for that was not the way of an agent of the ruinous powers. They pushed and prodded and promised, they never gave you all of the information. The Inquisitor got to his feet, he would find the instigator of this little sex cult and deal with him.

Satisfied that he had nipped this little problem in the bud the Inquisitor walked out of the building just as the arbites officers got to work with their flamers, the Imperium was a little safer tonight.


End file.
